GG 15th Birthday @ Cockleton Meadows - Colour Supplement.

During the session, Martin and Mark took these photographs showing the wide variety of work that was undertaken. Thanks for submitting them ...! Attached at the end is the press release for the event.

Saturday 29th Sept.... I have just looked at the County Press web site and they have included the press release...! Not sure if it will be in the paper as I no longer take a copy. Try this link to have a look see... 16909774.isle-of-wight-green-gym-celebrates-700th-milestone

Martin's Photographs.

Mark's Photographs.

The Press Release....

News Release:   26th September 2018

IW Green Gym landmark – 15 years!

In this day and age it’s rare to find things that last. Groups get set up and then funding ends and they close again. That’s not the case with the Isle of Wight Green Gym – 15 years after they were set up they are still going strong as a self-sustaining group. 

It has meant that over 750 three hour conservation sessions have taken place. 

The Island’s countryside has benefitted of course, as has the community for as well as doing the task for the week it provides a social gathering, friends mingle and chat whilst working. That is the case with lots of volunteering, it should always be a two way process.  Guided by the seasons the group’s work, using only hand tools, is practical in nature, providing real gains to fitness and hopefully to the Island’s wildlife.

This week the group were working at Cockleton Meadow in Gurnard, a lovely location to mark the group’s 700th session! The site has a team of local volunteers, supported by Gurnard Parish Council and is also one of the ‘Gift to Nature’ sites. The milestone involved lots of cake to celebrate (any excuse of course) and might well cause many of the group to cast their minds back over so many IWGG locations and achievements over the years.  

IWGG’s committee work hard to keep the group going and pay tribute to the many hundreds of volunteers who have attended. They have a number of hardy stalwarts who started volunteering with them back in 2003 including Derek Comper, Geoff Harris and their Chairman, Mark Russell.  Mark said 

“It’s a long time, but when reflecting upon our involvement in projects over the years, I can see the real benefits. I’d like to pay tribute to everyone who participate each week, whatever the weather. Also to our supporters, we work with many larger charities on the Island, and local councils and the IW Council as well as schools and churches. Thank you!”

The group size varies each week but can sometimes be in the 30s, the group can get a lot done in the three hours.  They have helped wildlife conservation or access to the countryside at more than 180 different sites since 2003.

For more details of the IW Green Gym visit iwgreengym.org.uk 

N

Notes 

Wed 26th Sept 2018 - Cockleton Meadows, Gurnard. GG # 754.

Terry's Photographs.

Work starts on up-cycling pallets into seating units.

"Ready....steady....GO...!"

Clearing the area for the new seating arrangement.

Tidying up down by the pond area.

"Harvesting" the cut grass.

The wonderful birthday cake...VERY yummy...!

Team GG attending the birthday bash.

"The Boss" does the honours cutting the cake.

Installing the new seating.

Team GG were at one of our favourite venues this week.....Cockleton Meadows which also happened to be our 15th Birthday..!!! One thing you can always be very certain of when we visit here, we will NEVER be short of work. This time around we were involved with re-pegging the car park matting, converting pallets into seating, clearing & levelling areas of land, general gardening jobs around the site, raking up the previously cut grass and numerous other tasks. Martin certainly kept us on our toes for the whole time :-) Come tea break it was off to the excellent picnic area for a Team GG photo shoot with the cake and then all tuck in, washed down with copious amounts of tea and coffee. Being a birthday bash, this was a very well attended meeting and the weather was unseasonably warm with clear blue skies. (obviously, Mark had  arranged this for us..!)

Many thanks to Terry for taking the photographs this week and to Pam for making that amazing cake...!

Before you turn hit the "OFF" button... have a look at the Colour Supplement.

Wed 19th Sept 2018 - Dodnor Creek LNR, Newport. GG # 753.

Mark's Photographs.

This week we were back at the Dickson's Copse / Dodnor Creek LNR site to continue the work we had started last week. This time we concentrated on the footpath that leads from the cycle path, alongside the creek and down to the old mill wall by the River Medina. Much earlier this year we started trying to infill the somewhat damaged chestnut fencing using locally sourced material - this session we were continuing that job. Initially it appeared that the numbers attending this session were down but by the time work got underway a few more GGmers had arrived to swell the work force. A very windy, rather grey day with the occasional rain shower but on the plus side, it was pleasantly warm..! This will be the last time we will be working at this site  as part of the special funding that had been allocated but hopefully GG will be back here again soon to continue the good work done to date. Lots of notices from Mark about upcoming events - so keep an eye on your e-mail in tray over the next few days..!

A big thanks to Mark for taking the photographs this week.

Wed 12th Sept 2018 - Dickson's Copse, Dodnor, Newport. GG # 752.

Terry's Photographs.

Above and below - the new information board and seating

adjacent to the old cement mills.

Quite a pile of limestone chippings...

Rebuilding the pathway surfaces.

Replacing the post that some nice person had kindly removed..!

Tea break and a chat from "the Boss".

Cheque presented by the CPRE.

More information boards.

The post after it was "replanted".

Above....some of the many areas that were resurfaced.

Gathering the well used wheel barrows.

This week we returned to Dickson's Copse - AKA the Dodnor Creek LNR. The main task was to continue with the pathway and step resurfacing that we started during our last session here. Nice to get it completed before the rains set in and everything gets very muddy (but hopefully not quite so muddy this year..!) Several other tasks were undertaken including the re-erection of a post that some kind person had ripped from the ground and the preparation of some hazel and willow that we had coppiced during a previous session.  This will be used to do some dead hedging when we return to this venue next week. During the tea break we were presented with a cheque from the Campaign to Protection Rural England (CPRE) for the litter picking that we do at every GG session. We did have some very light rain during the session but was still quite warm. One sign that the year is moving on... Mark is already asking about where we might go for the GG Xmas dinner this year...!

Many thanks to Terry for taking the photographs this week and to the CPRE for the generous cheque.

Want more information about CPRE..? Then please click this link Campaign to Protect Rural England: Home

Please don't forget to look at this web page if you are interested in joining in with the upcoming beach litter pick.